New York Times bestselling sensation Susan Mallery returns to Fool’s Gold, California, where it’s true that sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs…

Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool’s Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.

Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend’s bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her “wild youth” to raise her sisters. She doesn’t want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would’ve been nice.

His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam’s luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

“This book is a dynamite read filled with humor, compassion and sexy sizzle.”

—RT Book Reviews on Three Little Words, Top Pick!

“Both smile and tear inducing. Mallery is one of a kind.”

—RT Book Reviews on Two of a Kind, Top Pick!

“Mallery delivers another engaging romance in magical Fool’s Gold.”

—Kirkus Reviews on Just One Kiss

“In her second ‘Blackberry Island’ novel, Mallery has again created an engrossing tale of emotional growth and the healing power of friendship as these three ‘sisters’ meet life’s challenges.”

—Library Journal on Three Sisters

“The wildly popular and prolific Mallery can always be counted on to tell an engaging story of modern romance.”

—Booklist on Summer Nights

“Mallery infuses her story with eccentricity, gentle humor, and small-town shenanigans, and readers...will enjoy the connection between Heidi and Rafe.”

—Publishers Weekly on Summer Days

“Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.”

—Booklist

“Susan Mallery is one of my favorites.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

Before We Kiss

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To 2013 Fool’s Gold Co-Head Cheerleader Angela. Knowing you is a joy. I admire your strength and your optimism in the face of obstacles. You brighten every life you touch and the world is a better place because you are in it. Thank you for your friendship. This one is for you. Armadillo.

Being the “mom” of an adorable, spoiled little dog, I know the joy that pets can bring to our lives. Animal welfare is a cause I have long supported. For me that means giving to Seattle Humane. At their 2013 Tuxes and Tails fund-raiser, I offered “Your pet in a romance novel.”

In this book you will meet a wonderful little Pomeranian named Caramel. Her owner was one of two auction winners and this is her story.

One of the things that makes writing special is interacting in different ways with people. Some I talk to for research. Some are readers who want to talk characters and story lines, and some are fabulous pet parents. Caramel’s dad is a special guy who loves his little girl so much. When he told me about her, she came alive. I hope I have captured her wonderful spirit in this book.

My thanks to him, to Caramel and to the amazing people at Seattle Humane (www.seattlehumane.org). Because every pet deserves a loving family.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

Extract

CHAPTER ONE

“RETURNING TO THE scene of the crime?” Dellina Hopkins asked as she stared at the dark-haired man standing on her porch. She supposed the polite response to his presence was to invite him in. And she would...in a minute. But first she was going to make him work for it.

Sam Ridge, all six feet of dark-eyed, arrogant handsomeness, narrowed his gaze. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” he asked.

Dellina smiled. “No. Would you, if you were me?”

He surprised her by flashing a grin. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“An honest man.” She bumped the door open wider with her hip and stepped back to let him in. “It’s a miracle.”

He moved into the house. Dellina let the screen door slam into place, but left the thick wooden door open. It was summer in Fool’s Gold, and plenty warm. The breeze would be nice. Plus―and this was the part she would never admit to Sam―having the door open meant they weren’t totally alone. Okay, they were alone, but it didn’t feel so intimate. And based on what had happened the last time they’d been together in this house, that was a good thing.

Sam paused in the middle of her living room, as if not sure where to go. His head turned slightly and she had a feeling he was glancing down the hall—toward her bedroom. No doubt remembering what had happened some five months ago.

Dellina wanted to say it hadn’t been her fault—that everyone was allowed to be stupid on Valentine’s Day. Or in her case, on Valentine’s Day night. Only she had known exactly what she was doing and it had been as wonderful and disastrous as anyone could have imagined. Now both she and Sam were going to have to deal with the consequences.

He turned to face her, then motioned to the sofa. “We should probably have a seat.”

“Will that make things easier for you?” she asked.

“If I say yes, will you sit?”

“Probably.”

“Then yes. It makes things easier.”

Dellina settled in one of the club chairs while Sam took the sofa.

He moved with controlled power. It was the former professional athlete thing, she thought, watching him sit down. At the risk of sounding like a groupie, she had firsthand knowledge that the man knew how to use his body. Of course, the last time she’d been in his presence, she hadn’t been interested in sitting. Or talking. But then neither had he. They’d practically tumbled over each other in their race to her bedroom. He’d—

Dellina pushed the very visceral memories away. Yes, Sam had been delicious in bed. But then things had gone downhill. She needed to remember what was important. He was here about a job. Not his unrequited lust for her. Based on how he’d been avoiding her for the past several months, when it came to her, he was plenty requited.

But he was also in a bit of a pickle.

The old-fashioned phrase made her want to smile. Yup, Sam needed her. Not in a delicious take me now kind of way, but for business. She was a party planner and he wanted to plan a really big business event. He was stuck and she was his way out. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, circumstances went her way. So after five months of being able to ignore her and that single night, he’d been forced to face her. Was it so very wrong of her to enjoy the moment? She thought perhaps not.

She rested her hands flat on her thighs and looked at him. “How can I help you?”

His dark gaze settled on her face. “Really? You’re not going to admit you know what any of this is about?”

She blinked deliberately, then opened her eyes wide. “When you made your appointment to speak with me, you didn’t mention a subject.” Of course she knew why he was here, but again, a little emotional torture seemed the right kind of payback.

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “All right. We’ll play this your way. I’m Sam Ridge. I’m a partner at Score.”

She grinned. “I know who you are, Sam. We don’t have to pretend that much. Just tell me what you want and we’ll move on from there.”

He swore under his breath. “You’re friends with Taryn. You’ve done work for her. How long are you going to punish me?”

He was right about Taryn. She and Dellina were friends and had worked together several times. Score, the PR firm in question, had moved to Fool’s Gold just after the first of the year. Three of the partners were former NFL players and Taryn was the glue that held the company together.

“I haven’t completely decided how long you should be punished,” she admitted, wondering if batting her eyes again would be too over-the-top.

He sighed heavily. “Fine. We’ll do this your way. Now that we’ve moved our business here, my partners and I want to have a big party for our clients. We’ve booked a hotel, but that’s as far as the planning has gotten.”

“A party,” she breathed, and pressed her hand to her chest. “That sounds really nice.”

* * *

IN TRUTH, BEING a neurosurgeon or the person who used to land the space shuttle probably made the top-ten list of jobs designed to give a person an ulcer. Sam would guess whoever was in charge of the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year’s Eve probably had a few sleepless nights. But he would add that being a kicker for an NFL team had its moments of stress. When he’d been with the L.A. Stallions, he’d been responsible for twenty-six wins, including three during play-off games and one Super Bowl victory. He knew what it was like to have everyone watching him, both in person and on TV, and have his job performance critiqued endlessly.

He’d always known the outcome the instant his foot connected with the ball and he was famous for turning away and letting the sounds from the crowd tell him if he was right. He was used to pressure. He’d lived it and breathed it. But he’d never faced down anyone like Dellina Hopkins before, and the worst part about it was, she was right to give him a hard time.

Sam shook his head. “Okay,” he said. “I give. I was wrong.”

Her brown eyes twinkled. “Wrong about what?”

“That night. Leaving the way I did. It was just...” He motioned toward the hallway. “Those dresses and that list. All of it. I’m not looking to get married.”

“Neither am I.”

“You’re the one with a room full of wedding gowns.”

Her full lips pressed together. Sam tried not to notice, but her mouth was one of the first things that had caught his attention, back on Valentine’s Day.

He’d been staying at Ronan’s Lodge for a few weeks, until escrow closed on his new place. He’d gone down to the bar for a drink only to realize it was Valentine’s Day and the place was crawling with couples. As he’d recently sworn off women—again—he’d started to turn around to go back to his room.

But before he could safely escape, he’d spotted Dellina. She’d been with friends. They were laughing and talking. No one had noticed him. She’d been pretty enough, but then she’d smiled and it was like getting kicked in the gut—and he was a man who knew the power of a good kick. He’d sent over a tray of drinks for the table, they’d invited him to join them and an hour later he and Dellina had been having dinner together.

Later, when he’d kissed her, he’d discovered her mouth had been as exciting and intriguing as he’d hoped. She’d invited him home, he’d said yes and the rest had been incredible. Until he’d gotten up in the night and found himself in a nightmare.

He’d spent the past five months avoiding her. Tough to do in a town the size of Fool’s Gold. The situation had been complicated by the fact that he’d enjoyed her company and had really wanted to see her again.

Now that his company needed her services, he’d been forced to suck it up. So here he was. Being tortured for sport. Kenny and Jack would point out there was no other reason to torment anyone.

Dellina rose. She was about five-five, with all the expected curves. When he saw her around—because wanting to avoid her and being able to do it were two different things—she was usually in dresses or suits. Today she had on jeans and a frilly sleeveless thing that shouldn’t have been sexy and yet was. Looking at her bare arms made him remember the rest of her bare, which was what had led to the problem between them in the first place.

Damn, he should never have gotten out of bed today. Or moved to Fool’s Gold. Or joined Score for that matter. Or been born.

“Stand up,” she said.

He did.

She walked up to him and held out her hand. “We’re starting over. I’m Dellina Hopkins. I own a party planning business.”

He didn’t know which tack she was taking now, but figured he didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter. Time was ticking and he was desperate.

“Sam Ridge. My company is a PR firm.”

They shook hands. The second her fingers closed around his he felt heat. His gaze immediately settled on her full lips and he remembered he hadn’t had nearly enough time with them. Or any of her. It was just once she’d gotten naked, he hadn’t been sure which part of her to enjoy first. Then the nightmare had started.

She withdrew her hand and dropped it to her side.

“Well, Sam, like many small businesses, mine is based in my home. This house I rent has three bedrooms. I sleep in one and I work out of one and that leaves a spare bedroom. Follow me, please.”

She led the way down the hall. He hesitated. He had a good idea where they were going and it was not a place any man would want to revisit. What it came down to was how much he needed her. And he needed her a lot.

She paused outside a closed bedroom door. The closed bedroom door.

“So my friend Isabel owns a store in town called Paper Moon,” Dellina told him. “She sells wedding gowns. Last fall she decided to expand the business to include other kinds of clothing. She leased the space next door and started remodeling. As you can imagine, it was a big project. Because of the construction, she lost some of her storage space. Now, the average wedding gown is a pretty special item. So when one stores them, one can’t simply leave them anywhere. They need to be safe and temperature controlled.”

The pieces were starting to fall into place. Sam remembered getting up after making love with Dellina. He’d still been shell-shocked by the heat they’d generated and very much looking forward to a second act. Only on the way back from the bathroom, he’d made a wrong turn. Instead of walking back into her bedroom, he’d found himself staring at what looked like rows and rows of wedding gowns.

Worse, on the wall had been a dry-erase board with a header that read Ten Ways to Get Him to Propose.

He had, understandably, freaked. He’d found his way back to her room, pulled on his clothes and fled. From then until now, he hadn’t spoken a word to Dellina. He’d avoided her, he’d avoided anything to do with her and he’d never allowed himself to think about that night. Because if he did, he would find himself wanting her again. And with his luck with women, it was important to stay with those who were completely sane.

Which it appeared Dellina just might be.

She opened the door. He instinctively stiffened and saw they were still there. Racks holding covered white gowns. Like plastic aliens, hanging and shrouded, waiting to be returned to the mother ship.

“Isabel pays me to store her dresses,” Dellina said. “I would do it for free, but she insists on a small monthly payment. These are not my dresses.”

“Okay.” He tried to adjust his collar only to realize that his shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way and any pressure he felt was the result of being an idiot.

He cleared his throat. “So, ah, that clears up the problem with the wedding dresses. What about that?”

He pointed to the dry-erase board. It still stated Ten Ways to Get Him to Propose, but there weren’t any suggestions by the numbers.

Dellina sighed and sagged back against the wall. “It’s Fayrene.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“My younger sister,” she clarified. “Fayrene met Ryan last spring. They fell in love, but she didn’t want to get married because she wanted to focus on her career. Ryan was fine with that and they agreed to wait four years.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“She’s changed her mind and wants him to propose now.”

He waited, knowing there had to be more.

“Ryan isn’t getting the message.” Dellina rubbed her temples. “Probably because she hasn’t told him. Fayrene doesn’t want to tell Ryan she’s changed her mind. That wouldn’t be romantic. She wants him to guess on his own.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Sam told her. “If Ryan loves Fayrene, he’s going to respect her wishes no matter how much he wants to get married sooner. This isn’t a winning strategy.”

“Thanks for your insight. I happen to agree with everything you’ve said, but unless you want to take that up with Fayrene, you’re telling the wrong person. My point is, the list isn’t about me.”

Dellina faced him. “Look, Sam, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I don’t bring home guys I just met. Ever. Last Valentine’s Day was the first time I’d done anything like that.”

She kept talking but he stopped listening long enough to revel in the fact that she’d picked him for her first one-night stand. Okay, it wasn’t up there with curing a disease, but still, nice to know. He returned his attention to her.

“...and when you took off, I couldn’t figure out what had happened. Then I remembered this room and I knew you’d freaked.”

“Understandably,” he added.

“Yes. It is a bit off-putting. But you could have asked me what was going on.”

He thought about the other women who had been in his life. His family. If Dellina knew about all that, she wouldn’t be expecting a rational response. But she didn’t know any of it and he preferred it that way.

“You’re right,” he told her. “I should have asked. I reacted. It was late and we’d had sex and this room scared the hell out of me.”

She smiled. “You run fast.”

“I’ve had training.”

Her smile widened, drawing his attention to her mouth. “You’ve done a good job avoiding me. Fool’s Gold isn’t that big.”

“I noticed. You’re in a lot of places. You didn’t make it easy.”

“I didn’t want to,” she admitted.

“Then you must have been happy to find out about the party.”

Her expression turned impish. “A little.”

Because getting the party together had fallen onto him. Normally he would have simply hired someone. But the only party planner in town was Dellina. So he’d put off dealing with her as long as he could.

“Now that you’ve had your fun at my expense,” he told her, “there’s still a problem to solve.”

“Right. Score is putting on a party for its best clients. Three days of fun and frolic.”

“Frolic? Did you really just say that?”

She pushed off the wall and walked across the hall. “You know I did. Come on. Let’s go talk about how much extra you’re going to have to pay me to pull this all together in four weeks.”

* * *

DELLINA WAS MORE relaxed having Sam around than she would have thought. Now that they’d dealt with the past and the awkwardness of that night, they could get down to business.

He followed her into her office. Unfortunately she hadn’t been prepared for visitors so there were stacks of papers everywhere. She wanted to point out that usually she went to clients’ offices or the venue, but knew that one of the key rules of business was not to apologize unnecessarily. There was plenty of time for that if she actually messed up.

She reached for a pile of papers on a chair at the same time Sam did. His hand settled on top of hers. Instinctively, she looked at him and saw his gaze locked with hers. Probably because of the roaring heat, not to mention sparks, flaring from that single point of contact. Unless only she was feeling the attraction, in which case he was probably wondering what on earth was wrong with her.

She pulled back, as did he, and the pile of papers thudded to the floor.

Dellina stared at the mess. “Okay,” she said, circling around the desk. “Leave them. They can’t fall any farther.”

Her office was in the smallest of the three bedrooms. It was maybe ten-by-ten, with her big desk in the middle. There were a couple of chairs, two file cabinets, corkboard on one wall, a window and a long table, which she mostly used to stack yet more piles. One of these days she really had to come up with a filing system.

She sat down and reached for a folder. She colored-coded her projects and the Score party was going to be crimson. One of the L.A. Stallions colors. Something that made her smile even if no one else noticed.

“About the party,” she began, and picked up a pad of paper. “What are you looking for?”

“Taryn must have told you something.”

“She did, but I want to make sure I understand what you’re expecting. So you tell me.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t get bored if it’s a repeat.”

“How reassuring.” He leaned back in his chair. “We’re inviting twenty couples for a total of forty adults. Between them they’ll be bringing twelve children. Ages six to thirteen.”

She began to write.

“Our clients include sports celebrities, a company that manufactures rum and a jet time-share.”

She looked up. “A what?”

“A jet time-share. Private jets?”

“I know what they are.”

“With a time-share, you buy hours rather than having to own a whole plane. There’s an annual membership fee. You can buy a hundred hours, two hundred. Whatever you need.”

She supposed that owning only part of a jet was better than having to pay for the entire thing. If one were in the position to worry about that sort of thing. She didn’t fly much, but when she did, she looked for a bargain online.

“Another client is an international headhunter.” He paused, as if waiting for a question.

“I know what that is,” she told him. “They fill executive positions for large companies.”

“Very good.”

There was going to be a lot of money in the room, she thought as she took more notes. Not a big surprise. The owners of Score were rich, successful guys. Or in Taryn’s case, a rich, successful woman. They would attract like clients. She wondered why they’d chosen to settle in Fool’s Gold. A quiet, family oriented town with an obsession with festivals. According to Taryn, the guys had been the ones to push for the move. Which made Dellina wonder if they had been trying to get to something or away from something.

Her gaze returned to Sam. He was just over six feet, with broad shoulders and a lean, muscled build. As a kicker, he wouldn’t need to be huge. Jack and Kenny were physically bigger. While she preferred Sam’s physique, she would ignore his hunky maleness and the recent sparkage and remember this job was a big deal for her. She was going to dazzle the partners and come away with both a healthier checkbook balance and a kick-ass recommendation.

“The party starts Friday afternoon and goes until Sunday afternoon,” he said. “We’ve got a block of rooms up at the ski lodge.”

“How many rooms?” she asked. “Also, what about meeting rooms and other facilities?”

“I have that information back at the office. I’ll email it to you.”

“Great. I’ll need to see copies of the contracts, as well. So I can review what they’re expecting and what you’re expecting.”

His mouth tightened. “I reserved some rooms,” he told her. “There’s no contract.”

She made a few more notes and told herself not to judge. She was the party professional, not him. “I’ll take care of that.” She’d learned to get everything in writing. That way the only surprises were good ones. “You’ll need activities, meals and goodie bags. Do you want a separate track for the kids? I’m guessing the parents would enjoy alone time, at least part of it.”

“Sure.”

“Lectures? Musical entertainment? Do you want sitters for the kids?”

“I have no idea.”

Which meant he and the other partners hadn’t discussed anything past “Hey, let’s have a party.” The good news was there wasn’t a lot to undo. The bad news was the tight time frame.

“We have just over four weeks to pull this all together,” she said, turning her attention to him, which was hardly difficult duty. Sam’s features were chiseled, his dark eyes intense. He looked like a model for one of those moody fragrances for guys. And sitting oh-so-close. Not that she was going to react. They were working together now. In business. Which meant what had happened between them before was interesting but not relevant.

“I’m finishing up another project this week, then you can have me full-time until the weekend of the party,” she told him.

One eyebrow rose slightly as he nodded. “We’re going to need all your attention on the event.”

“How much do you want to be a part of the decision making?”

“Run everything by me. We can set up regular meetings or you can simply drop by Score. I’ll make myself available.”

“We’ll do both,” she said, writing more on her growing to-do list. “Okay—contracts for the rooms and figuring out a schedule will be my top priorities. I bill by the hour. There will be deposits on some items, but because of the tight time frame, others will have to be paid for outright. I prefer to run all the invoices through my office so I know what you were charged.”

“Not a problem. When you come by the offices, I’ll give you an up-front retainer. This party is going to cost a lot. I don’t want you to stretch your cash flow on our account.”

“Thank you,” she said, thinking he’d been just as thoughtful during their lone intimate encounter. He’d...

No, she told herself firmly. That was not going to happen again. Nor was she going to get lost in remembering how he’d touched her or kissed her or...

“I should have enough to get started on all this,” she said, putting down her pen. “Let’s meet in a couple of days and I’ll have more details worked out.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They both rose and she walked him to the front door. For a second she wondered what would have happened between them if he hadn’t gone into the wrong bedroom that night. If he’d made his way back to her.

Probably no difference at all, she told herself firmly as they said goodbye. He was a big-time ex-jock and she was a small-town girl. She doubted a guy like him was looking for something serious, and she wasn’t, either. What happened made for a funny story and nothing else. But, she admitted after he’d left, it was sure fun to think about.

CHAPTER TWO

THREE HOURS LATER Dellina had the rough outline of a plan for the weekend party. She’d already done some preliminary work, but knowing how many people were coming, and the number and ages of the children, made a difference in what she was going to suggest everyone do. She’d made appointments at the resort and arranged for tasting menus.

She glanced at the clock, then stood and left her office. After grabbing her bag, she walked out of the house and started for the center of town.

Fool’s Gold was set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The town was at an altitude of about twenty-five hundred feet, which meant there were four definite seasons. Just one of the things she loved about living here. While tourists were the main source of income, there were plenty of small businesses in town, along with a big casino-hotel complex on the outskirts of town and a new outlet mall. To the north was a facility that constructed wind turbines and to the west were lots of vineyards.

Dellina and her sisters had been born and raised here. Dellina had briefly thought about moving to a bigger town but had quickly realized she was a hometown girl at heart. Sure, growing her business would be easier somewhere else, but easy wasn’t always right. Her folks had taught her that.

She turned on Fourth and saw the sign for Brew-haha up ahead. Taryn and Larissa had arranged for a coffee date the second she’d told them about her scheduled meeting with Sam. No doubt they wanted details. Dellina was prepared to say everything had gone well. She wasn’t going to confess to any tingles. That would be embarrassing for all of them.

As she approached the coffee shop, she saw a tall curvy redhead pacing along the sidewalk. Bailey Voss wore a navy dress and jacket, along with sensible navy heels. A little on the business side for her. Realizing what the professional dress meant, Dellina hurried toward her.

“Is it today?” she asked by way of greeting.

Bailey turned toward her and nodded as she pressed a hand to her stomach. “In about half an hour. I got ready too early and then... I was afraid to stay home, but once I left, I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

Dellina turned the other woman toward Brew-haha. “Come inside. We’ll distract you until it’s time.”

“Thanks,” Bailey said, then bit her lower lip. “Just don’t be so entertaining that I forget where I’m supposed to be.”

“We’ll set an alarm,” Dellina promised, and guided the other woman into the store.

Brew-haha was a bright, cheerful place with small tables by the big windows. There were the usual coffee and tea drinks, along with pastries. Dellina spotted Taryn and Larissa right away. They’d already collected their lattes and were seated.

Taryn, one of the partners at Score, was in her mid-thirties. Tall with long dark hair and violet-blue eyes, she dressed as if she was a high-fashion model. Today Taryn had on a fitted jacket over a tight skirt. Her heels were at least four inches high; her bag was a leather-and-snakeskin Hobo. Dellina would guess that the combined cost of the outfit would be about the same as a decent used car.

In contrast Larissa wore a brightly colored T-shirt and yoga pants. Her long blond hair was pulled back, she wasn’t wearing makeup and she had daisies painted on her toes. Taryn spent her days ruling Score with an iron fist while Larissa gave massages and acted as Jack’s assistant. It was an interesting dynamic.

Both women looked up and saw her. They waved.

“Look who I found,” Dellina said as they approached the table.

Bailey twisted her fingers around the strap of her handbag. “I have my interview with Mayor Marsha in a few minutes.”

Taryn pulled out a chair. “Sit here. You can tell me everything that has you nervous and we’ll work through it.”

Bailey sank down and sighed. “I’m just scared I don’t have enough experience.”

Dellina walked up to the counter and ordered a latte. “Bailey, you want anything?”

Bailey shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ll spill.”

Something Dellina could understand. No one wanted to go to an interview wearing a stain. As she waited for her latte, she studied Bailey’s subtle makeup and the frown between her eyebrows. Being a single parent wasn’t easy. Dellina had lost her folks and become responsible for her sisters at an early age. While that had been devastating, she’d been able to return to Fool’s Gold where she knew everyone and there were plenty of people to look out for them.

Bailey and her husband had moved to town a couple of years ago. Neither of them had any family to speak of. There’d been an uncle or great-uncle around but he’d passed only a few months after their arrival. Then Bailey’s husband, a soldier, had been killed in Afghanistan. Dellina hoped Bailey got the job with Mayor Marsha so that she could feel financially secure. That would go a long way to healing a broken heart.

She returned to the table with her drink. Bailey turned to her. “You grew up here. Any Mayor Marsha advice?”

“Be yourself,” Dellina told her. “If Mayor Marsha didn’t already like you, you wouldn’t have the interview.”

“I hope my skills are good enough,” Bailey said. “I took that refresher course at the community college, but I haven’t been in the job market for a while.”

Taryn smiled at her. “Relax. As much as it pains me to admit it, the wily old woman knows what she’s doing.”

“You’ll do fine,” Larissa told her. “And when you get the job, you’ll have the inside scoop on the town gossip.” She leaned forward and grinned. “I remember when I interviewed for my job at Score. Wow, was I nervous.”

Bailey glanced at Taryn. “Yes, I can see why.”

Taryn’s eyes widened. “Hey, if that was about me, I’m a very gentle interviewer.”

Larissa grinned. “She wasn’t the problem. I had to talk to Jack. I was so scared because he was this famous, hunky guy. At least you won’t have to worry about being tongue-tied because Mayor Marsha is good-looking.”

They all laughed.

Dellina smiled at Bailey. “Larissa’s right. Once you get the job, you will have the inside track on all the town gossip.”

“Delicious,” Larissa said.

Taryn looked at her friend. “You don’t have time for gossip. You’re too busy trying to kill people with poisonous snakes.”

Larissa hung her head. “I’ve apologized about a thousand times for that.”

“Give me a thousand more, I’ll consider dropping it,” Taryn teased.

Dellina didn’t know much about Larissa beyond the fact that she had a soft heart and liked to rescue critters of all kinds. Unfortunately it seemed she didn’t always think through her plans. A couple of months ago she’d been transporting snakes for a local wildlife organization. The snakes were going to a sanctuary somewhere in the southern part of the state. When the top of the container had come loose, one of the snakes had gotten out and Larissa had immediately stopped the car and jumped out.

Angel, Taryn’s now-fiancé, had offered to help. He’d found out a bite too late that the snakes were poisonous and had spent the night in the hospital. Angel was fine and the snakes had made it to their new home, but Taryn was still torturing Larissa about the incident. In this case, Dellina found herself on Taryn’s side. Helping animals in need was one thing, but dealing with poisonous creatures should be left to the professionals.

Bailey stood. “I need to go. I want to walk slowly to city hall so I’m not sweaty when I arrive.” She pressed her hand to her stomach again. “I hope I can do this.”

Taryn rose and hugged her. “You can. You’ll be great. Tell me everything that happens.”

“I will,” Bailey promised, and left.

Taryn watched her go. Pride filled her eyes. For some reason the other woman had taken an interest in Bailey to the point of arranging a clothing exchange with the sole and secret purpose of getting Bailey a new interview dress. Taryn had figured Bailey wouldn’t simply accept it as a gift and she sure couldn’t afford it herself. So there had been a ladies-only clothing exchange.

Taryn sat down and picked up her latte. Her engagement ring sparkled in the afternoon light. “So,” she said slowly. “Start talking.”

Larissa grinned. “She’s right. We want details. You said hi and he said hi and then?”

Dellina did her best to keep from smiling. “Are you talking about my meeting with Sam? It really wasn’t that interesting.”

Taryn’s gaze narrowed. “If I had something to throw at you, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Dellina laughed. “No throwing. Our meeting was fine. Very professional.”

“No sex on the kitchen counter?” Larissa asked.

Dellina shook her head. “No. Sam wouldn’t do that.”

“But you would?” Taryn asked. “Interesting.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Sam was pleasant, we cleared up any lingering confusion about our past and talked about the party.”

Both women stared at her, as if wanting more. No way she was going to mention the tingles. They were private. And probably foolish. She’d had a night with Sam and it had been great. But they’d both moved on and now they were working together. End of story.

“I was hoping for more,” Larissa admitted.

“I think he’s good-looking,” Dellina told her. “Does that help?”

“Not really. I’ve never slept with Sam. Was he good?”

Taryn laughed. “Larissa, my sweet, that makes it sound like you’ve slept with Jack and Kenny.”

Larissa’s blue eyes widened. “What? No. Of course not. I work with them.” She flushed. “Especially Jack. We’re friends. Nothing more. Just, you know, good friends.” She pressed her lips together as if trying to prevent herself from babbling. “For the record, I have not slept with anyone at Score. I was just wondering about Sam.”

Dellina felt a little of Bailey’s tummy unease but it had nothing to do with being nervous. For a second she couldn’t place the cause.

“Because you’re interested in Sam?” Taryn asked, her eyebrows raised.

The second Taryn asked the question out loud, Dellina realized the cause of her anxiety and it didn’t make her happy. Why did she care if Larissa had a thing for Sam? She’d spent one evening with him and had a single conversation since. What did she care if he slept with the entire state of California?

“I’m not interested in Sam,” Larissa said with a sigh. “I meant I work with them, they’re sexy, handsome men. All of them. Equally. I’ve heard things in the media and from various women and I wondered if any of it was true.” She looked at Taryn. “You slept with Jack and you won’t give me any details. Maybe Dellina will be more forthcoming.”

“I was married to Jack,” Taryn said. “And no, I’m not talking about that part of our relationship.”

They both looked at Dellina expectantly.

She held up her hands. “Um, no. I’m not comfortable getting into specifics.”

“How about a gross generality?” Larissa offered. “Was he good?”

Dellina felt herself start to smile. “Yeah, he was good.”

Larissa squeezed Taryn’s hand. “Our little boy is all grown up.”

“You’re a freak,” Taryn told her. “You know that, right?” She turned to Dellina. “As Sam’s business partner, I would encourage you to have sex with Sam. I’m guessing it would improve his mood and I’m for that. As your friend, you probably want to think more than once about getting involved with a man who has that much bad luck with women.”

“Arguing each side equally,” Dellina murmured. “Impressive.”

“Isn’t she?” Larissa sat back in her chair. “What is it about sports guys that make them so appealing?”

“Their bodies,” Dellina said without hesitating, telling herself she was speaking in generalities and not talking about Sam at all.

“The danger,” Taryn added. “Remember during the Olympics when we couldn’t stop watching Kipling Gilmore? When he skied down that mountain, it was the sexiest thing ever.” She paused and grinned. “Except for Angel, of course.”

“Yes, don’t leave your fiancé out of it,” Larissa murmured. “I’m with you on Kipling. Yum and double yum.”

Larissa leaned toward them both. “So I heard from a friend of mine.”

Taryn groaned. “Run,” she told Dellina. “Run while you still can. Run and never take her calls.”

Larissa’s mouth turned into a pout. “You don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“Yes, I do. Some creature needs rescuing. It’s going to be weird and inconvenient.”

“Mostly to Jack,” Larissa reminded her.

Taryn perked up. “That’s right.” She looked at Dellina. “Jack is forever helping Larissa with her various projects. Whether he wants to or not.”

“It’s one of his best qualities,” Larissa said.

“Why doesn’t he just say no?” Dellina asked.

“It’s not in his nature,” Taryn said. “He’s a sucker for Larissa’s causes.” She picked up her latte again. “All right. What is it now?”

“There might be a lady in Barstow breeding chiweenies.”

Larissa paused dramatically. Dellina looked at Taryn. “What’s a chiweenie?”

“Hell if I know. And where’s Barstow?”

Larissa put her hands on the table. “They’re dogs. A Chihuahua-dachshund mix. There’s concern she has a puppy mill rather than a breeding program. We’re still investigating. But we might need to go in and rescue them.”

Taryn’s right eye twitched. “Save us all,” she murmured. “Fine. Go rescue your chiweenies, but don’t ask Dellina for help until after the party. I mean it. She’s working on a deadline.”

Larissa’s eyes widened. “But they’re puppies!”

Taryn looked at Dellina. “You see what I put up with?”

Dellina heard the love behind the frustration. Because for Taryn, the people at Score were her family. Dellina knew how important belonging could be. She would do anything for her sisters and her friends. Every now and then she wondered what it would be like to have a Mr. Right in her world. Then she told herself she was doing just fine and that a man would simply get in the way of that.

* * *

SAM ARRIVED AT Score a little before six in the morning. He stored his change of clothes in his locker, then headed outside.

While the days were warm in summer, the nights were still cool, as were the early mornings. The sun had just started to climb over the mountains when he walked onto the basketball court across the street from the company offices.

When he and Kenny and Jack had first come to Fool’s Gold for a charity event, they hadn’t been looking to leave Los Angeles. But something about the town had appealed to them. They’d come back individually over the next few weeks and had ultimately decided to relocate. When Taryn had gone looking for a building, they’d requested a space for a half basketball court. Ever the overachiever, she’d found one where they could put in a full court. Which meant three mornings a week there were pickup games with the guys in town.

Now Sam stepped through the gate in the high fence and walked toward the people already there. He, Jack and Kenny made up the Score contingent. From CDS, the local bodyguard school, were Justice, Angel, Ford and Consuelo, the only woman who joined them. Gideon, who owned the local radio station and his twin brother, Gabriel, showed up most mornings. Usually someone else came to play. One of the Stryker brothers, Josh Golden or Raoul Moreno.

They played to thirty points and generally followed NCAA rules. Teams were decided by drawing poker chips from a bag and whichever team Consuelo wasn’t on was skins. Given the choice, Sam preferred having the petite brunette on his side. She was small but fast, and she played dirty.

“Hey,” he said as he approached. As he greeted everyone, he did a quick head count and realized they were down one player. Clay Stryker had arrived just after Sam, which meant one of the regulars was absent.

“It’s Angel,” Consuelo said with disgust. “I’m sure he’s still in bed with Taryn.”

Not anything Sam wanted to hear. Taryn was too much like a sister for him to be thinking about her having sex with anyone. When it came to personal information, he didn’t want to know.

Just then a man on a Harley rounded the corner and parked. A couple of the guys whistled loudly.

“Who’s finally getting some,” Ford yelled. “Did your woman not want you to go?”

“Can I help it if I’m a god in bed?” Angel asked as he pulled off his helmet.

Sam grinned.

The first few mornings after the court had been finished, there had only been the three guys from Score. Later in the week, the team from CDS had shown up. The game had grown from there. Sam wasn’t sure, but he would bet Taryn had something to do with it. There were more greetings, then everyone drew from the cloth bag and divided into teams.

Sam saw he and Consuelo had different colors. He grimaced as he pulled off his shirt. He would have to be careful around her. She thought nothing of throwing an elbow. If it went high, the man she was guarding ended up with a black eye. If it went low, he generally walked like a cowboy for the rest of the day. Neither was appealing.

“Let’s go,” Jack said, clapping his hands together.

Kenny rolled his eyes. “Once a quarterback,” he muttered to Sam.

Sam chuckled.

The ball was tossed into the air and they were moving.

Sam ducked around Justice and reached for the ball. He moved downcourt only to sense more than see someone coming up beside him. He turned, shifted his weight and jumped up to shoot. The ball spun through the air and fell gracefully into the net.

“Way to go, Sam.”

The high-pitched yell had him looking over his shoulder and then swearing under his breath.

“They’re ba-ack,” Ford said as he ran past.

Most mornings two old ladies showed up with lawn chairs and mugs of coffee. They sat and watched until the game was over, cheering both sides and often suggesting that shirts weren’t the only thing that should come off.

He had no problem with that. It was that one of the old ladies seemed especially interested in him and that was kind of weird. He’d run into her a few weeks ago at one of the town festivals and he would swear she’d pinched his ass.

Justice scored for the other team, then Jack stepped out of bounds to take the ball. Sam got into place and caught it, then passed it to a teammate. As they all moved up the court, he thought that if someone was going to go after his ass, he would pick Dellina. They’d only been together that one time, but it had been memorable. The way she’d kissed him, he thought as he turned and reached for the ball. Her mouth had made him—

He came to a stop involuntarily as his face made contact with something hard and sharp. Pain exploded by his eye, but before he even started swearing, he passed the ball to Clay. Only then did he reach up to touch the rapidly swelling lump that was going to not only leave a mark but give him a black eye. He turned to Consuelo.

“Seriously? You had to do that?”

“You weren’t paying attention. You know I hate that.” She sounded more defensive than contrite. Then she pointed to his face. “Your nose is bleeding, too.”

He rubbed his chin. Sure enough, his hand came away with blood on it.

“Man down,” Jack yelled, walking toward him.

“I’m standing,” Sam told him even as he headed off the court. Dripping blood would make the court slick. And he should probably get some ice on his eye.

“I’m not going to say I’m sorry,” Consuelo yelled after him.

He smiled. No, she wouldn’t, and he liked that about her.

Sam walked across the street. It was still before seven but when he entered the offices of Score he found Taryn in the foyer. She took one look at him and shook her head.

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m not patching you up. And don’t bleed on the carpet.” She walked to the phone at the reception desk and picked up the receiver. A second later she said, “Sam got injured.” She paused and looked at him. “Black eye and bloody nose.” Another pause. “Yes, they are idiots.”

She hung up. “Larissa will meet you in the locker room.” She pulled a box of tissues from the reception desk and thrust it at him. “Use these. I swear, if you drip on our carpet...” she began.

He took the box and pulled out a handful. “You’ll what?”

“Be very angry.”

“Ooooh. I’m trembling.”

She glared at him, then stalked off. Considering she was wearing four-inch heels, the pace was impressive.

Twenty minutes later Larissa removed the ice pack to check the swelling. “You’re going to have a black eye,” she murmured. Her touch was light as she brushed her fingers over his cheek. “You want to go see a doctor?”

“No.”

“Typical. Use the ice packs for ten minutes on, ten minutes off. Don’t press hard.”

“I know how to do this,” he reminded her.

“You know what would be better than knowing how to treat a black eye? Not getting hit in the first place.”

He nodded. “Point taken.”

She started putting away her first aid supplies. “It’s not usually you who gets distracted. What happened?”

He’d been thinking about Dellina’s mouth. Not that he would share that with Larissa. “It was one of those things.”

“Poor Sam.” She picked up her kit, then paused. “I’ve been talking to one of my rescue groups about—”

He was already halfway out the door. “Good luck with that.”

“You didn’t hear what we want to rescue.”

“I know.”

* * *

FAYRENE HOPKINS WAS a big fan of having a plan. She knew exactly where she wanted her business to be by her twenty-eighth birthday. She understood the market in her town, the opportunities and had even been saving to buy a small apartment building. Because in addition to having her own company, she was going to start buying up real estate in Fool’s Gold. She had friends, family, a wonderful man who loved her and a plan. What she didn’t have was an engagement ring and not having it was killing her.

It wasn’t the ring itself, she admitted. It was what the ring represented. Commitment. Because as much as Ryan swore he loved her, he seemed in no hurry to pop the question. Fayrene was ready to get married and get on with the next phase of their relationship.

She sat on the stool in her sister’s spare bedroom. Dellina was on the phone, dealing with a client issue. Which left Fayrene alone with a dozen or so beautiful wedding gowns. Some were samples, others had been ordered for soon-to-be brides. Brides engaged to men who were willing to cough up a ring and set the date.

Fayrene sighed heavily. She knew in her heart she had no one to blame but herself. When she and Ryan had first met, she hadn’t been looking for love. She’d been interested in building her business. She was young and sometimes that meant she wasn’t taken seriously. She knew that for the other businesses in town to be willing to use her services and trust her to get the job done, she had to be willing to do more than was expected. Falling in love would only be a distraction.

Only Ryan had been so...nice, she thought wistfully. Sweet and funny. They’d met at Hendrix Construction. He’d been there as an engineer while she’d been filling in for the receptionist. She’d also been pet-sitting a pregnant cat who had chosen that morning to go into labor.

While she’d been running around like a crazy person, Ryan had calmed her down, checked on the cat and kept it all together. She’d been impressed. She’d tried to keep her distance from him, but she’d been unable to resist his charms. And when he’d kissed her...well, she’d been totally lost.

Now, as she picked up one of the dresses and held it against her, she supposed Ryan’s greatest virtue was that he was doing exactly what she’d asked. Waiting. When they’d admitted their love, she’d been scared about losing her chance at her business dream. Getting married would have been too much of a distraction. So they’d agreed to wait four years. One of which had passed, which left three more to go.

Only she didn’t want to wait anymore and she couldn’t figure out how to get that information to Ryan without telling him directly.

She held the dress in front of her again. From what she could see through the protective plastic, it was a beautiful strapless gown with layers of—

“Leave that dress alone!” Dellina walked into the room and put her hands on her hips. “Fayrene, that’s either a special order or a sample. You can’t mess with the merchandise.”

“If it’s a sample, I can.”

“Then go to Paper Moon and try it on in the store like a normal person.”

Fayrene returned the dress to the rack and sighed. “I’m not normal. I’m an idiot. Ana Raquel was smart. She realized she loved Greg and got engaged immediately. They moved in together.”

“They also eloped.”

Fayrene wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t want that. I want a big wedding.” With all her friends there. She wanted to walk down the aisle and see Ryan at the other end. She wanted a church ceremony and a backyard reception.

“Fayrene, I love you like a sister,” Dellina began.

“I am your sister.”

“I know. You’re a smart businessperson, but when it comes to love—specifically with Ryan—you’re making this way too hard. Tell him how you feel.”

Fayrene shook her head. “The guy is supposed to propose.”

“That’s unbelievably old-fashioned.”

“I don’t care. When I’m telling my daughter a bedtime story and she asks me how Daddy proposed, I don’t want to tell her he didn’t. That I had to ask.”

It was more than that, she thought sadly. She wanted Ryan so swept away by love that he couldn’t help himself. That he didn’t care what she wanted. That being with her was the most important thing in the world and he would ask her to marry him no matter what. Only that didn’t seem to be happening.

“Maybe he doesn’t love me anymore,” she said with a sigh.

Dellina leaned against the door frame. “Kill me now.”

“Before your big party?”

Her sister straightened. “You’re right. The party is huge and I’m going to do such a good job that people will be talking about it for weeks. You still up for being my head babysitter?”

“You bet. I’m looking forward to it.” As a rule, Fayrene liked kids. She would also like the big, fat check she would earn for just three days of relatively easy work.

“Good. By the way, you don’t happen to know how long it takes to play a round of golf, do you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never played. Four hours, maybe.”

“That’s what I’m thinking. I’ll do some research online and then talk to someone at the golf course. I’m planning the events for the weekend. I have to present the schedule to Sam tomorrow.” She tilted her head. “Don’t take this wrong, but what are you doing here?”

Sulking, Fayrene thought. “I was hoping we could brainstorm more ways to get Ryan to propose,” she said, pointing to the dry-erase board.

Dellina walked toward her and put her hands on Fayrene’s shoulders. “You’re my sister. I love you very much. I would step in front of a bus for you.”

“But?”

“But you’re going about this all wrong. Tell him how you feel. And if you won’t, comfort yourself with the knowledge that Ryan will propose.”

Fayrene groaned. “In three years.”

“Which is exactly when you told him to.”

CHAPTER THREE

DELLINA ARRIVED AT the office of Score five minutes before her appointment with Sam. While she knew where the offices were, she’d never been in them before. Now as she walked through the glass doors, she took in the open foyer with the two-story ceiling. A big reception desk stood in the center. There were stairs to the left and an elevator beyond that. But what really caught her attention was the nearly life-size pictures on the wall.

Sam, Kenny and Jack stared down at her from all angles. There were photos of the guys in uniform, in shorts and T-shirts, standing around and working out. There was one of Jack about to throw a football, another of Kenny jumping to catch. One showed Sam in that last nanosecond before he kicked the ball.

She turned slowly, taking in the various poses and expressions. In the back, by the stairs, was one picture showing all four partners together. In her heels, Taryn was the same height as Sam. Jack was an inch or so taller with Kenny a couple of inches taller than him. The guys were in suits and ties and Taryn had on a long-sleeved black dress that showed every skinny inch of her body. Dellina immediately sucked in her stomach.

A middle-aged woman walked toward her. “May I help you?”

“Dellina Hopkins. I have an appointment with Sam.”

The woman smiled. “Yes, of course. This way, Ms. Hopkins.”

“Dellina, please.”

She was led down the hallway. Signed jerseys and trophies lined the walls. The receptionist stopped in front of a partially open wooden door.

“Thank you,” Dellina said before she stepped inside.

She found herself in a large office. One end had a big desk with a computer. There were windows, a long leather sofa and, at the far end, a small conference table.

The square footage probably came close to that of her house, she thought with amusement. Ah, to be a rich, famous football player, she thought. Talk about serious perks.

A door by the conference table opened and Sam walked into the room. Her girl parts cheered, her breath seemed to catch and she wondered if it was just her or if the sun was shining just a little brighter now. He smiled when he saw her.

“Right on time.”

She was about to ask if there was a private restroom or if he and the other guys had secret passages back and forth between their offices when she took a look at his face. His left eye was slightly puffy and there was a deep violet and red bruise from the bridge of his nose to his cheekbone.

“What happened?” she asked, instinctively stepping toward him.

“You should see the other guy.”

“You got in a fight?”

The smile returned. “No. I played basketball and got in the way of Consuelo’s elbow.”

“Consuelo did that to you?” Dellina cleared her throat and lowered the pitch of her voice. “On purpose?”

“That second question is harder to answer. She would tell you it was my own damn fault and she would probably be right.”

“You have a black eye.”

“That seems to be the consensus.”

She was only a few feet from him. For a second she thought about moving closer and lightly touching his skin. While the idea was tempting, she couldn’t figure out an excuse. It wasn’t as if she had magical healing powers. While being around Sam made her think of tangled sheets and soul-stirring kisses, the information wasn’t relevant for their current discussion. Or any discussion. Because what had happened that night had been an anomaly. Given the choice between the job and man, she would take the job.

But being with the man had been very, very nice.

He pointed to the conference table. “Have a seat. We can go over what you’ve brought.”

She sat down and set her tote on the chair next to her. Sam sat on her other side and pulled a stack of papers toward himself. She saw plugs for hooking up a computer and suspected a screen lowered on one of the walls.

“Fancy,” she said, pointing to the connections.

“I have finance meetings in here,” he said. “With the accountants. We keep them small because no one else wants to attend.”

“Your partners want to know their checks cleared and little else?”

“Something like that.”

She pulled out her stack of folders. “I get that. Just once I’d like to have a phone call with my bookkeeper that doesn’t have her trying very hard not to sigh in my ear. Every time I think I’ve got stuff the way she wants...”

Dellina trailed off, thinking that admitting a shortcoming like that probably wasn’t a good idea.

Sam leaned back in his chair. “Don’t worry. I’m not hiring you for your genius with numbers. I want you to make sure our guests have a good time.”

“Much more my area of expertise.” She passed him the top folder. “The preliminary schedule of events.”

He handed her a couple of sheets of paper. “The guest list, including who has kids and their ages.”

* * *

SAM FLIPPED OPEN the folder. The top two pages contained the calendar for the weekend. He scanned the lists. Per his request, the party began at four on Friday and went until two-thirty on Sunday.

“As you can see,” Dellina said, leaning toward him and pointing, “we’re keeping both kids and parents busy. The only places where the children need to be kept separate are the welcome wine tasting and dinner at Henri’s. I have a private room reserved for the event. Not only won’t it hold extra people, the kids would be a distraction.”

“I agree,” he told her.

“The other possible need for separation could be the lecture, but as I haven’t lined up anyone yet, I don’t know. Regardless, I’m running a full second track for the children. I suggest we go item by item through both schedules.”

He nodded.

Dellina shifted her chair closer. Her wavy brown hair slipped off her shoulder and brushed against his arm. He was wearing long sleeves and couldn’t really feel the contact, but he could imagine it. His fantasy for round two of their lone night together had been her on top. Only things hadn’t gotten that far.

“The wine tasting is the first item,” she said. “It will be held on the patio by the restaurant. I want to feature local wineries. Condor Valley Winery is right here in the valley, so they’ll be the star. I have an in with the owners. My sister Ana Raquel is married to the nephew of the winemaker. He’ll give a short talk on wine making, and the hotel wants to provide the appetizers. After the tasting we’ll head into the restaurant for a full sit-down dinner. You and I will figure out the menu. Their wine cellar is impressive, so we have a lot to choose from.”

She pointed to the second sheet. “While this is going on, the kids will be learning how to make various mocktails and appetizers. Ana Raquel and her husband are professional chefs. They’ll be teaching the class. It seems like an easy way for everyone to get to know one another. There will be an informal dinner. During which we’ll have a local band playing.”

“You have a band suitable for children?”

She grinned. “A high school band, but still fun.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth. Her lips were full and shiny from some gloss. He wondered if it would have a flavor and how much trouble he would be in if he tried to find out.

“There’s a group in Sacramento that puts on plays for children. I want to hire them to do a kid-friendly play. It’s a little pricey but will be a great end to the evening. The fun part is the kids learn lines and participate as well as watch.”

It was a lot, but as she said, memorable. Better for the parents to know their children were entertained and tired at the end of the day.

“Is the play going to cost more than ten thousand dollars?” he asked.

Her eyes widened. “Hardly.”

“Then it’s fine.”

“Sheesh. We have different definitions of expensive,” she murmured.

He was sure that was true. “What about babysitters?”

“There will be at least two adults with the kids at all times along with several teenage sitters to keep an eye on things. I’ll have references for everyone working two weeks before the party so parents can check them out if they want.”

“Impressive,” he told her.

She smiled. “I live to dazzle. Okay, Saturday morning. We’ll have a stretching class for those who are in the mood, followed by breakfast on the terrace. Then we split up. Adults go to CDS for a fun obstacle course while the kids go bike riding with Josh Golden.”

“Josh agreed to this?” Sam asked.

Dellina nodded. “I wouldn’t have put it on the schedule if he hadn’t. He does a lot of Saturday morning rides with different people. If you’re visiting town, you can sign up for it through your hotel. They start on the track at his school, and then when everyone is comfortable they head out to the bike path that circles the city.”

She angled toward him. “I’ve talked to Angel and CDS has several corporate obstacle courses for us to choose from. They have balance beams and things with tires.”

He held in a smile. “Things with tires?”

“You know what I mean. You jump in and out of tires. It’s supposed to be fun.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I don’t see the point, but that doesn’t matter. This isn’t about me. You and Jack and Kenny are the stars. Your guests will be expecting a lot of physical activities and this will be a fun one.”

She wore a lightweight sweater over black pants. Low-heeled shoes that Taryn would turn her nose up at but Sam thought were cute. Dellina was professional and obviously good at her job. She also smelled good and he couldn’t stop wanting to pull her close and violate several state statutes on sexual harassment.

“After that,” she continued, “we meet up with the kids and head into town. It’s the weekend of the Summer Festival. We’ll have lunch together, then split up to explore. There will be a tour of the town for anyone interested. We shuttle back to the hotel at three-thirty and then there’s the lecture for the adults and the children get to hang out with Max and his therapy dogs.”

She pulled a brochure out of another folder and passed it to him. “Normally Montana does the community outreach with the dogs, but she’s seriously pregnant and taking it easy. K9Rx Therapy Dogs does what it sounds like.”

“I know what therapy dogs are.”

“Then you get the fun the kids will have with friendly, adoring dogs. Angel will bring his Acorns by to talk about their recent project with therapy puppies.”

Acorns? Sam started to ask what or who they were. Then he remembered Taryn’s involvement with a group of girls. They were like scouts, only local. There had been activities and a project involving puppies. More interesting was take-no-prisoners Taryn now spent her days staring at her engagement ring and sighing like a schoolgirl.

Love did strange things to people. Once he’d wanted that for himself. Not the acting like a fool part, but the rest of it. The connection. The family.

Dellina continued, “We finish the evening with a barbecue on the terrace. Kids with their parents, although there will be sitters available if Mom and Dad want to stay up late.” She drew a breath. “Sunday morning we have brunch together. Then there’s golf for those interested, a spa day here at the hotel for the ladies and the kids get on a bus to head to Castle Ranch.”

“Horseback riding?” he asked.

“Horses and goats and an elephant.”

He shook his head. “I’m not paying for an elephant.”

“You don’t have to.” Her smile was smug. “There’s one at the ranch.”

“An elephant?”

“Yes.”

“In Fool’s Gold?”

“Of course. Her name is Priscilla. She lives on the ranch. She has a pony named Reno as a companion.”

Sam wondered if the elbow to his face had bruised more than his eye. “You’re sure?”

“You can’t make up something like that.”

She had a point there.

“Elephant rides, it is.”

“Then we all meet back at the hotel and the weekend is over.”

He studied the papers. “You did great. Our clients will be talking about this for a long time.”

“That’s the goal.”

“The lecture is still a problem.”

“I know.” She sighed. “It has to be special. I’m figuring it out.”

“This is where you tell me the short time frame doesn’t help.”

Her mouth twitched. “Why state the obvious? You were in an emotional crisis. We all have to deal with the aftermath.”

“I wasn’t in an emotional crisis.”

“What would you call it?”

“Hell.”

She laughed. “Fair enough. The combination of the list and wedding dresses were probably off-putting.”

“That’s one name for it.”

She tilted her head. “You could have talked to me.”

“Not after seeing all that.”

“You assumed the worst.”

“It wasn’t much of a stretch,” he told her.

“I guess. But you should trust people more.”

“Not likely.” He studied her. “You, on the other hand, are too trusting.”

“I’m okay with that. I want to assume the world is a nice place. To think otherwise is too sad.”

An innocent, he thought, not sure if he admired her or wanted to warn her against all that could happen.

“It’s because I grew up here,” she added with a shrug. “You’ve lived here now. You know what it’s like.”

“True. A Fool’s Gold native would have a tough time being cynical. So what was it like? Four perfect seasons and a warm, loving community?”

She laughed. “You’re right about the community. I’m not sure I’d agree the seasons are perfect, but it was nice.” Her humor faded.

“What?” he asked. “Something ruin Pleasantville for you? What was it? A lost dog? A bad prom?”

“Prom wasn’t great.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Bad things happen everywhere, even here. My parents passed away.”

Sam reached for her hand, then drew back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk.”

“You weren’t.”

“I assumed nothing bad had ever happened to you.”

“I’m not sure anyone gets through life without some kind of pain.”

“How old were you?”

“Seventeen. My sisters were nearly fourteen. My parents took their first vacation by themselves.” She looked away. “At the last minute my mom wanted to cancel, but I said we’d be fine.”

This time Sam did take her fingers in his. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known what was going to happen. There’s no way she knew, either.”

“Which all sounds very logical.” She returned her attention to him and didn’t pull free of his touch. “But back then I felt so responsible.” She swallowed. “It was a freak thing. They were on a boat in the Caribbean and there was a storm. It took a couple of days to find their bodies.”

Sam couldn’t imagine what that must have been like. His parents made him crazy—especially his mother—but at least he knew they were around. Ready to torment him at a moment’s notice.

He continued to rub her hand. Her skin was warm and soft, but this wasn’t about him.

“It was awful,” she continued. “Honestly, I can’t remember much about that time. There was a funeral and then our aunt and uncle came to get us.”

“You moved away?”

She nodded. “There was no other family. We’d met them before—the aunt and uncle. But that was different than going to live with them. We were in a different state and different schools. Fayrene and Ana Raquel had each other, so that helped. But I didn’t feel like I had anyone else.”

Sam remembered being seventeen and wishing for nothing more than to be left alone. His sisters and parents were always there hovering, checking on him. It wasn’t pleasant or fun. In retrospect, he’d been damned lucky.

“I finished high school and turned eighteen. Then I petitioned the courts to get custody of my sisters.” She laced her fingers with his. “My parents had left enough money to take care of us, assuming we were careful. There was insurance on the mortgage, so the house was paid for. The town helped. Julia Gionni moved in with us for the first two months. Denise Hendrix taught me how to balance a checkbook and pay bills, that sort of thing. We managed.”

Without thinking, he stood and pulled her to her feet. He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” he said.

She put her hands on his chest and stared into his eyes. “You do realize it was a decade ago, right?”

“Still, a lot for you to deal with.”

She was smiling, which made his attention drop to her mouth. Instantly, he remembered what it was like to kiss her. To feel her lips against his. He’d kissed a lot of women in his life, but there was something about Dellina. The feel of her, the way she tasted. The heat.

Last Valentine’s Day, when they’d walked out of the hotel together, he hadn’t thought about much more than how he wanted to see her again. Then he’d kissed her. The second her lips had moved against his, he’d known he was lost. He’d wanted her—in his bed. Or her bed. Or up against a wall somewhere. The need had hit him like a linebacker, nearly dropping him to his knees. From that second until he’d walked into the hell room at her place, he’d been operating on need.

Now he wondered how much trouble he would be in if he tried to kiss her again. There were a thousand reasons not to—most of which revolved around the weekend they had to plan. But the reasons to do it were powerful and starting to win.

She moved her hands to his upper chest and gently pushed him back.

“I appreciate the sympathy and support,” she said as she sidestepped him. “But your reaction means I told you way too much. Both my sisters are doing great. They’re successful and happy.”

The message was clear, he thought. Back off. He’d crossed a line with her. The realization was made all the more uncomfortable because he was the guy who prized his own boundaries.

“Except for Fayrene and Ryan,” he said, hoping to restore equilibrium to their conversation.

She sank back in her chair and smiled. “There is that. The quest to find a way to get her boyfriend to read her mind. I suspect if something like that existed, it would have been discovered long before now.”

He returned to his seat. “Telling him isn’t possible?”

“Apparently not. She wants him to propose.”

“You could tell him.”

Dellina smiled. “I could, and believe me, I’ve thought about. But every time I start to have the conversation with him, a voice in my head says Fayrene needs to figure this out on her own.” She glanced down. “I know this is going to sound weird, but it’s almost like my mom is there, giving me advice. So I listen.”

“Not weird,” he said. “Nice.”

Her smile widened. “Thanks. Because I don’t want you to think I’m really hearing voices. At least, not scary ones.” She looked at her notes. “Let me put together a list of everything we’re going to need to check out. Menus at Henri’s, of course. The various hotel venues, Castle Ranch, the obstacle course. Obviously the festival will happen without us checking on it, but everything else that can be tested, tasted and reviewed will be.”

“Do I get to ride the elephant?”

“I’m confident that can be arranged.”

* * *

SAM MADE A joke about Priscilla. Dellina was pretty sure she’d responded appropriately, although she wasn’t positive. She was still shaking, still fighting the fiery need that burned low in her belly.

When Sam had pulled her to her feet and held her, she’d nearly melted from the inside out. His hands on her body had reminded her of what had happened between them before. She’d actually had the thought that if they pulled the blinds at the big windows looking into his office, they could pick up where they’d left off right there.

Which was beyond insane. She wasn’t that girl. She was cautious and responsible. She didn’t bring strange men home and she didn’t have sex in people’s offices. Except when it came to Sam.

She drew in a breath and nodded at what she hoped was the appropriate place. She could do this, she told herself firmly. She could act normal and be a professional businesswoman. There was a lot at stake with this party. No way she was going to let her hormones and girl parts ruin a great opportunity.

So she’d pushed him away when what she really wanted to do was drag him closer and let him show her a good time. How strange that he was the one to rock her world...sexually at least. Couldn’t she have the hots for a nice, regular kind of guy? Like a plumber or one of Ryan’s friends? Did she have to go all slutty for a former football star with a fan club and who knows how many exes in his past?

“...talk about the lecture,” he said.

“We should,” she murmured, not sure what he’d been saying. Obviously something about the lecture.

He frowned. “You’ll pull some ideas together?”

“Of course. I’ll find people who are available and there will be a range of topics. We’ll narrow it down.”

“So, in two days?”

“Yes,” she said, figuring he was talking about their next planning session. “Let’s meet at my place. I’ll have charts and graphs for you.”

He grinned. “My favorite.”

“As long as there are numbers, too?”

“You know it.”

He waited while she collected her paperwork and then walked her to the front of the building. When they’d said goodbye, she walked outside and drew in a deep breath.

Talk about embarrassing, she thought as she headed for her car. When she got home, she was going to give herself a stern talking-to. Then she’d have some ice cream. Because there were very few problems chocolate chip cookie dough couldn’t solve, at least temporarily.

* * *

KIPLING GILMORE GLANCED toward the windows. Snow came down steadily, promising a good day of skiing tomorrow. So far he hadn’t done much more than mess around on the slopes and get back into fighting shape in the gym. But the rest of his team would arrive by the end of the week and then the training would get serious.

He used a towel to wipe the sweat from his face, then slowed the treadmill to a walk. Music pounded from the speakers in the hotel gym, but he kept his earbuds tucked in place. Not that his music was any better. The earbuds were his way of keeping the world at bay. At least while he worked out.

The post-Olympic whirlwind had finally slowed. Not that he was complaining. If the price of two gold medals was a round of media events, red carpet appearances and lavish parties all over the world, well, he was man enough to be willing to pay. Although he had tired of finding strange women in his hotel room. Fortunately the management at his hotel in New Zealand were determined to protect his privacy.

He stepped off the treadmill and headed for the exit. He would be back later for a second workout. Weights this time. What he did on skis required more than coordination and luck; it required strength, and he’d gotten lazy since the Olympics.

“Hi, Kipling.”

The greeting came from a sultry blonde in the hallway. Her skintight workout clothes showed that either Mother Nature had been extremely generous or her plastic surgeon had been willing to go larger than suited her frame.

Two years ago he would have paused to talk. Three years ago he would have been backing her into the closest private room and letting her have her fifteen minutes of fame. Now he simply nodded and walked on.

As he waited for the elevator, he checked his cell phone. He hadn’t heard from Shelby in a couple of days and that bothered him. His half sister had recently moved home to care for her dying mother. An admirable decision, but one that worried him. Mostly because it put her in close proximity to their mutual father.

Nigel Gilmore looked and sounded like a British diplomat. But he was also a brute with a temper. He was a man who enjoyed hitting women. Kipling had been saved by both his gender and his quickness. Early on, he’d learned how to duck. But Shelby and her mother weren’t so lucky. Kipling didn’t understand why some women stayed with men who beat them. He’d protected Shelby as best he could. His leap to the top of the pack had meant endorsement deals and money to pay for Shelby’s college. They’d vowed to never go back home.

But that had changed a few months ago when Shelby’s mother had been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She was in the last stages of her life and Shelby had wanted to be with her. Unfortunately that meant facing Nigel.

He didn’t like that he was half a world away from the small Colorado town where he’d grown up. He liked it even less that Shelby was there on her own.

He stepped into the elevator when it arrived, then exited on his floor. As he walked down the hall, he saw the window at the end. Snow continued to fall. Tomorrow would be a good day, he told himself. He would be back on the mountain searching for the ultimate goal—going faster than anyone ever had.

CHAPTER FOUR

FAYRENE STUFFED HER keys into her jeans pocket and headed for the front door. She was going to swing by Dellina’s to have yet another heart-to-heart with her older sister. She needed a plan to get Ryan to propose and Dellina was the best planner she knew. But before she could reach the door, someone rang the bell. She pulled it open a second later.

Mayor Marsha stood in the hallway of her triplex. Fayrene rented the bottom floor, mostly because it had a tiny yard. She liked seeing grass and flowers when she looked out her kitchen window. The upstairs units had a better view of the town, but she liked where she was.

Fayrene looked at the older woman. Of course she knew the mayor—everyone who lived in town did. But the other woman had never once come to her apartment.

“Hello,” Fayrene said cautiously. “May I help you?”

“I hope so,” Mayor Marsha told her, then smiled. “I understand you have a pet-sitting service.”

It was only then Fayrene noticed that Mayor Marsha was holding a leash in one hand. And at the end of the leash was a fluffy, adorable Pomeranian.

Fayrene immediately dropped to her knees. “Who is this?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Caramel.”

“Hi, pretty girl,” Fayrene said softly as she stroked the dog’s head.

Caramel’s button eyes widened as her face seemed to relax into an adorable doggy grin.

Mayor Marsha picked up a tote bag and handed it to Fayrene. “There’s a folder with instructions inside. Caramel is very friendly. She prefers people to dogs. She likes squeaky toys, bacon, Thai food and tummy rubs. It’s probably best if you don’t leave her home alone. She likes to be involved in what’s going on.”

Fayrene stood. Somehow she found herself holding the bright pink leash, along with the tote. Caramel gave a little spin.

“I didn’t know you had a dog.” She’d never seen the mayor with one before. Or heard her talk about one.

“This is a several-week commitment,” Mayor Marsha told her. “Will that be all right?”

“Sure. I have a few temp jobs right now, but there’s no reason she can’t go with me.”

Mayor Marsha gave her a few instructions about feeding Caramel, then mentioned the name of her vet. Before Fayrene could figure out what was happening, she found herself alone in her building’s hallway, facing a fluffy Pomeranian.

“Okay, then,” she said slowly. “I guess it’s you and me.”

Caramel gave another spin, as if expressing excitement.

Fayrene stepped back and pushed opened the door to her apartment. “Want to come in?”

Caramel walked into the apartment. She waited while Fayrene unclipped her leash, then set off to explore her new home. Fayrene unpacked her dog food and set out a bowl of water. She found Caramel on her bed, curled up in a nest of decorative pillows.

“Not the type to sleep on the floor?” she asked.

Caramel wagged her tail a little, as if to ask why anyone would choose the floor when there was a perfectly comfortable bed for the taking.

* * *

SAM ARRIVED AT Dellina’s place right on time. He’d walked, because Fool’s Gold was the kind of place where people walked instead of taking their cars. As he’d made his way to her house, he’d passed plenty of residents and a few tourists. The latter had mostly ignored him, but he’d seen the townspeople giving him the once-over.

He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to acknowledge them or just keep moving. In Los Angeles, he’d managed to stay anonymous—which was what he preferred. Of course in Fool’s Gold no one seemed to care about his former career, so maybe it didn’t matter if people knew he was walking on the street.

Dellina opened her door before he could knock and grabbed him by the arm.

“You are going to be so impressed,” she said as she pulled him into the house. “I’ve been working my butt off and do I have a lot to show for it.”

Her enthusiasm made him smile as he followed her down the narrow hallway. They stepped into her office where charts and lists covered the walls. Which seemed safer than the infamous dry-erase board with Fayrene’s ongoing list of how to get Ryan to propose. But now that he knew the logic behind the brainstorming, he wasn’t worried. It turned out that Dellina had been exactly what she’d seemed that lone Valentine’s night. A sweet, sexy, funny woman who took him places he wanted to go again. She wasn’t married, a stalker or even secretly a man. All pluses in his book.

The only thing standing between him asking her out was the party they had to pull off and the knowledge that with his bad luck, however good things started, they were going to finish in disaster.

Dellina walked to the sheets tacked to the wall. She had on worn jeans and a T-shirt and was barefoot. While he liked seeing her in business attire, he had to say there was something appealing about worn jeans. The soft, faded denim molded to her curves in a way designed to make him think about—

“Here are the cost estimates,” she said, pointing to one of the lists on the wall. “It’s not complete and it will change, but it gives us a starting place.”

He reluctantly raised his gaze to where she pointed. “That’s why they’re called estimates.”

She flashed him a smile. “You’re such a numbers guy.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

She pointed at another list. “Our tasting schedule.”

She went on about food and maybe even wine, but he was busy thinking about another kind of tasting. One that involved his mouth and her body and lots of moaning.

In an effort to distract himself, he glanced at a list of what looked like craft projects. The word birdhouses had several question marks next to it.

“For the kids?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I can’t decide. A birdhouse can be built in a single day. The glue doesn’t take long to dry. We could finish them in the morning and then paint them that afternoon and the next morning.”

“Interesting.”

“Now the lecture series,” she said, pointing to the chair by the desk.

He sank onto the seat. She settled across from him and handed him pages she’d printed out on her computer.

“I think these are the most interesting so far. This man is an astrophysicist. He talks about the origins of the universe in terms laypeople can understand. He’s supposed to be funny and relatable.”

“Our clients aren’t the science types,” he told her.

“Well, I think he’d be really interesting, but I thought you might say that.” She handed him a second sheet. “What about a race car driver? He’s very successful on the Formula 1 circuit. I looked him up online and he has a few really funny videos.”

The car guy had more appeal, but Sam wasn’t feeling it. “How many women are interested in cars?” he asked. “Even racing? Taryn’s going to say it’s not anything she wants to listen to.”

Dellina sighed. “I can hear her tirade already,” she admitted. “Darn. I thought this was it.”

Sam raised his eyebrows. “Darn?”

She smiled again. “I don’t swear in front of clients.”

“A good policy.”

She stood up suddenly and hurried to the wall where she scribbled a few words. He studied the list and saw it was items she had to research or questions she needed to get answered. Like “Does Castle Ranch have a first aid kit?” and “Confirm none of the children have food or sunscreen allergies.” She was thorough, he thought, wondering why he’d resisted hiring her for so long. Sure their night together had ended badly, but she was good at her job and he respected that.

The sound of someone knocking on the front door was followed by a female voice calling, “It’s me.”

Dellina turned. “My sister Fayrene,” she said.

A petite blonde walked into the office. She was pretty, with hazel eyes, but what caught his attention was the small fluffy dog who walked next to her.

Dellina turned. “Hi,” she said, then nodded to Sam. “I have a client meeting.”

He rose. “Sam Ridge.”

Fayrene’s eyebrows rose. “One of the football players. Nice. Fayrene Hopkins. This is Caramel. She’s a Pomeranian.”

Dellina finished writing and faced her sister. Her gaze dropped to the small dog. “She’s adorable. Pet-sitting?”

“Yes. Oddly enough, Mayor Marsha brought her to me.”

“I didn’t know she had a dog.”

“Me, either.”

Dellina crossed to the small animal and let Caramel sniff her fingers. “You’re too cute for words,” she told the dog. “Can I pick her up?”

“Sure. She’s superfriendly and really well behaved.”

“Hey, pretty face,” Dellina said in a low voice. “You want me to pick you up?”

Caramel gave a little half jump as Dellina reached for her. Dellina snuggled her close, then laughed when the dog licked her chin.

Sam eyed the fluffball and wondered how much she would shed on his clothes. Although he had to admit, Caramel looked pretty cute. More teddy bear than dog. And she seemed to have a decent personality.

He’d never had pets growing up. His house had been wild enough with three kids and his not-quite-normal parents. A dog or cat wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Dellina’s cell rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. “I have to take this. It’s about another lecture possibility. I’ll be right back.” She handed Caramel back to Fayrene and ducked out of the room.

Fayrene looked at him.

Sam saw that the sisters had some similarities. The same shape to their faces and the set of their shoulders. Although Dellina was a few inches taller, which he liked. He remembered what he’d been told.

Fayrene took her sister’s chair and smiled at him. “So, you’re a man.”

Sam immediately glanced toward the exit. No conversation that started like that was going to go well, he thought grimly. Maybe he and Dellina could wrap up the rest of the details over the phone.

He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

Caramel wiggled free of Fayrene and jumped into his lap. Before he knew what was happening, she’d planted her tiny back feet on his thighs, her front feet on his chest and was staring at him expectantly.

“What?” he asked as he stared into round dark eyes.

“I think she wants you to hold her,” Fayrene said. “I’ve only had her a couple of hours so I don’t know everything she likes.”

Sam didn’t want to hold the dog, but he also wasn’t sure about her staring. He reached for her, not clear on how to pick her up. As his hands closed around her, he realized she was a lot smaller than she’d seemed. She was mostly fur. Her body was small, her bones slight. Jeez, he could crush her if he wasn’t careful.

But before he could figure out how to hand her back to Fayrene, Caramel had wiggled and shifted until somehow she was on her back, gazing up at him. Her expression held contentment and absolute trust. She relaxed against his arm, nestling her head in the crook of his elbow. He stroked her chest, then rubbed her little belly. She sighed and closed her eyes.

“She likes you,” Fayrene told him.

News that was both gratifying and terrifying.

“You’re one of Dellina’s clients, right?” Fayrene asked.

He nodded. “She’s planning an event for my company.”

“Great. And there have been a lot of women in your life?”

Sam’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

Fayrene grinned. “Groupies. Girls in hotel rooms. You know what I mean. You’re experienced when it comes to women.”

Sam shifted uncomfortably. What the hell was she asking?

“It’s about my boyfriend,” Fayrene told him.

“The mysterious Ryan.” He relaxed and thought of the dry-erase board with the Ten Ways to Get Him to Propose header. “There’s an obvious solution.”

“To what?”

“The proposal.”

Fayrene’s hazel eyes widened. “Okay. What is it?”

“Tell him you want to get married.”

Her mouth twisted in disappointment. “Like that is ever going to happen. I can’t just say I’ve changed my mind and want us to get married now.”

“Why not?”

Her gaze turned pitying. “Because he’s the guy. He’s supposed to propose. I want the romantic moment. If Ryan really loved me, he would know things were different. Or he wouldn’t be able to wait for me. He’d insist.”

Sam thought attitudes like that were one of the reasons the divorce rates were so high. “Unrealistic expectations and too much idealized fantasy about what it should be,” he muttered. “If Ryan loves you, he’ll respect you. Did you two agree to wait for a few years before getting married?”

“Yes.”

“Then every single day he doesn’t mention getting married, he’s showing you he loves you and wants what you want.”

“But I don’t want that anymore.”

“He’s a man, not a mind reader. He’s doing exactly what you asked him to do. Changing the rules now isn’t fair to either of you. This is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. If you can’t be honest about how you feel, how do you expect your relationship to last?”

Fayrene’s eyes narrowed. “You’re no help at all,” she told him, then stood and scooped up Caramel. The little dog settled easily in her arms.

“Tell him the truth,” Sam called after her.

Fayrene didn’t answer and seconds later the front door slammed.

Dellina returned to her office. “Did my sister leave?”

“Yes. I don’t think she was happy.”

Dellina didn’t look overly concerned as she settled back in her seat. “What did you say?”

“That if she wants to change the rules with Ryan, she needs to tell him directly.”

“Excellent advice.”

“Thank you.”

“Not that she’ll listen.”

“I got that.”

* * *

DELLINA ARRIVED AT Jo’s a few minutes before she was scheduled to meet her friends. As she walked into the bar, she saw Taryn and Larissa were already at a big table, along with Consuelo Ly. Taryn, as usual, wore something fabulous. This time a gray plaid sleeveless dress with a slim belt of the same material and some kind of foldy-draping across the front. The style was deceptively simple, but Dellina had a feeling the designer was a name everyone knew and that the dress had cost more than a vacation to Hawaii.

By contrast Larissa was in apple-green capris with a matching polka-dot T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and Dellina was sure she hadn’t bothered with makeup that morning.

Consuelo defied all fashion convention in her work uniform of cargo pants and a khaki-colored tank. All she needed was a bit of camouflage paint on her face to look like she’d stepped out of an action movie.

From Dellina’s point of view, they were all versions of exotic. Taryn with her upscale taste and glossy beauty. Larissa was the classic blonde bombshell with an athletic twist, while Consuelo was both stunning and powerful—combined in a petite package. By comparison, Dellina felt average. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was sort of pretty, but nothing like them. She guessed she looked like what she was—a small-town girl. In a word—boring.

For the most part she was content with that, but every now and then she wondered what it would be like to be glamorous and sexy.

“Hi,” she said as she approached the table. She set down the ceramic container she held. “I hope this is what you were thinking of. Rakisha from Plants for the Planet swears it’s going to last.”

Taryn and Consuelo both stared at the dish garden Dellina had picked up on her way over to lunch. They’d all agreed to get Bailey a small gift to celebrate her new job with the mayor. Larissa touched a couple of leaves.

“Nice,” she said. “There’s dracaena, spathiphyllum and syngonium. Pretty and it will last even if she’s not great with taking care of it.”

Taryn winced. “You frighten me.”

“I know about plants. Big whoop.”

“It’s one thing to recognize them. It’s another to know their Latin names.”

Dellina grinned as she took a seat. Her friends were nothing if not entertaining.

Larissa pointed to Taryn’s dress. “Who designed that?”

“Oscar de la Renta.”

Larissa turned to Consuelo. “And who made your pants?”

Consuelo glared at her. “Hell if I know. I get them at a surplus store or online. They’re pants.”

Dellina leaned back in her chair. “I wish Jo served popcorn because this is like live theater.”

Larissa grinned at her, then turned back to Taryn. “We all know stuff.”

“I got that. But my stuff makes sense. Yours is weird.” She looked at Consuelo. “I know better than to diss anything you know.”

“Good.” Consuelo started to say something else, then looked up. “Bailey’s here.”

They all rose and clapped as Bailey approached the table. The other woman blushed nearly as red as her hair as she drew near.

“Stop, please,” she pleaded. “You don’t have to make a fuss.”

“We’re making a fuss,” Taryn told her. “You got a great new job. A fuss is required.”

They all hugged Bailey, then took their seats. Bailey thanked them for the plant. Jo walked over and stopped at their table.

“Congratulations on the new job,” she said. “Lunch is on the house.” She paused. “For Bailey. The rest of you can still pay.”

“Of course we can,” Taryn said with a grin. “All right. I think this calls for champagne all around.”

Bailey’s mouth parted. “It’s lunchtime.”

“I know,” Taryn told her. “That’s the point. A single glass won’t hurt your work performance. This is a big deal. We’re all happy for you.”

“I like how you roll,” Dellina said.

“You’ll like her even more when I tell you she called ahead, so my best bottle is already chilled,” Jo said. “Back in a flash.”

“Champagne at lunch,” Bailey whispered. “I haven’t had any champagne since my wedding. Thank you all. You’ve been so nice to me.”

Consuelo waved away the praise. “Yeah, yeah, we’re amazing. How’s the new job?”

Bailey started talking about how much she had to learn, not only about working with Mayor Marsha but about the town government.

Dellina was more interested in the women at the table. For all Taryn’s toughness and attitude, she’d been the one to preorder champagne. And while Consuelo couldn’t handle a simple compliment or a thank-you, she would cheerfully strangle anyone who tried to hurt Bailey or her daughter. Larissa was the one Dellina knew the least, but from what she could tell, the other woman was caring and had no trouble poking fun at Taryn. A fun combination.

Jo returned with the champagne. She expertly popped the cork, then poured them each a glass.

“To new beginnings,” Taryn said to Bailey. “May you always be happy.”

Everyone joined in the toast, then they sipped. Dellina took a drink. The champagne was light and fizzy. She glanced at the bottle and saw the label read Dom Pérignon. Which was so Taryn, she thought with a grin. Well, everyone should have it at least once in their life!

She set down her glass. “Did you know Mayor Marsha had a dog?” she asked Bailey.

“No. She’s never said anything. Why?”

“She left her dog with Fayrene. I remember somebody mentioning a trip.”

“Me, too,” Taryn said. “Then everyone freaked out, as if Mayor Marsha wasn’t allowed to travel. Can’t the woman take a vacation without causing a scandal?”

“I think it’s because Mayor Marsha doesn’t go away much,” Dellina said. “I don’t remember it ever happening when I was growing up, although she must have left town sometime.”

“Where’s she going?” Larissa asked.

“New Zealand.”

“That’s far,” Dellina said, wondering how long the flight had to be. Twelve hours? Longer? “What’s there?”

“The Lord of the Rings tour,” Taryn said with a grin. “Maybe our mayor is a fan.”

“The what?” Consuelo asked. “Because of the book?”

Larissa patted her arm. “The movie. Remember from a few years back? It was a big deal. They filmed it there and I guess they left the sets in place. You can tour it all. See the hobbit village.”

Consuelo shook her head. “No way our mayor is going all the way to New Zealand to look at a bunch of fake hobbit houses. Maybe she’s going to watch Kipling Gilmore ski.”

Dellina stared at her. “You know where he’s skiing right now?”

Consuelo lifted a shoulder. “I read it in Sports Illustrated the other day. He’s there for summer skiing. Which they don’t call it there, because it’s their winter.”

“Someone has a bit of a crush,” Dellina murmured.

Consuelo’s lips twitched. “I like watching him. You were looking, too, during the Olympics.”

“I have to say I’m more comfortable with the idea of our mayor being a ski groupie than looking at hobbit houses on her vacation,” Taryn announced. “Which is, on the surface, kind of strange. I’m going to have to think on that.” She turned to Dellina. “Speaking of fun things like vacations and handsome men, are you torturing Sam about the party?”

Dellina laughed. “Which category does that question fall into?” She held up her hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. For the record, I’m only working with him. There’s no torture. It’s all very professional.”

A little too professional, Dellina thought. Because he was one good-looking guy. Nice, too. Quiet, but she liked that about him. Flashy didn’t suit her—not that Sam was making any offers.

Jo came by and took their orders. When she left, Dellina helped Bailey set the plant on a chair in the corner.

“Rakisha said her niece and grand-niece were coming to help with the business,” Dellina said as they returned to the table.

“Who?” Consuelo asked.

“The owner of Plants for the Planet,” Taryn said. “I’ve met her. She’s got to be a hundred and three.”

“Not that old, but probably into her eighties,” Dellina told them. “We were all afraid she would be selling the business.” There had been a scandal a few years back, she thought. Something about a man. But she didn’t mention that to her friends. No need to spread rumors.

“I’m glad she has family to help out,” Larissa said. “I love how the businesses are run in Fool’s Gold. I’d hate to see any of them go corporate.”

“The good of the many over the profits of the few,” Taryn murmured. “How I adore your tree-hugging nature.”

Larissa grinned. “Mock me all you want. I have a thousand causes I can talk about.”

“Yes,” Taryn said. “And all supported by Jack. The things that man does for you. It defies logic.”

Lunch passed quickly. There was plenty of conversation and laughter. Dellina walked out with Taryn, who stopped her on the sidewalk.

“The party is really moving forward?” Taryn asked. “While I like to torture Sam for sport, the truth is we all want to please our clients. So if you need anything, let me know.”

“Thanks, but it’s coming together really well. So far the only stumbling block is the evening lecture. I can’t find the right topic or person. What are both men and women interested in?”

Taryn raised her eyebrows. “Is that a real question?”

Dellina laughed. “I can’t hire someone to talk about sex.”

“I don’t see why not. You’d have everyone’s attention.” An SUV pulled up at the curb. Taryn waved at the driver. “That’s my ride.”

Because Angel had come to pick her up, Dellina thought, glancing at her friend’s five-inch heels. No way anyone could walk across town in those.

Love, she thought as she strolled toward the center of town. It did crazy things to people. She had neither a man nor five-inch heels. Not that she wanted the latter. Or had time for the former. Serious relationships weren’t on her to-do list. But a couple of nights with a certain former NFL kicker would be nice.

Dellina walked past Brew-haha. She thought briefly about popping inside and getting coffee, but then was seduced by the thought of a piece of fudge. On her way, she could check out what was new at Morgan’s Books. If she couldn’t have sex with the guy she wanted, she could buy a romance and read about someone else doing it with an equally hunky guy—however fictional he might be.

She turned left on Frank Lane. At The Christmas Attic, she paused to wave to Noelle, who was behind the counter, helping a couple of tourists. Her friend waved back. Dellina continued to Morgan’s Books, only to come to a stop in front of the display.

“It can’t be that easy,” she murmured, every fiber of her being hoping it could be just that simple.

In the front window was a display for an upcoming book signing. Lark Heuston, a New York Times bestselling author, was going to be signing at Morgan’s store the Thursday before the Score party. Which meant she would be in town. Just as exciting was the title of her new book. Using Tantric Sex to Strengthen Your Marriage. Talk about an unexpected gift. Because Taryn was right. Sex was the one thing men and women could agree upon, she thought happily.

The subject matter was appealing and informational, she thought as she headed for the door and stepped into the store. All she had to do was get the contact information from Morgan and then call Ms. Heuston to see if she would like to spend a couple of extra days in Fool’s Gold and give an easy ninety-minute lecture. Maybe they could even set up a book signing. Authors liked that sort of thing, didn’t they?

Dellina practically bounced with excitement as she hurried toward Morgan and began to explain what she needed.

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